Folding carrying case



June 7, 1966 3,254,786

J. B. MELVILLE FOLDING CARRYING CASE FIG-. 5.

3 SheetsS'neet 2 Filed April 29, 1964 INVENTOR. Jfl/M/ 5. M54 W44 6 June7, 1966 J. B. MELVILLE FOLDING CARRYING CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledApril 29, 1964 INVENTOR. 706W 6. M54 W445 BY iwjiyflm 3,254,786 FOLDINGCARRYING CASE John B. Melville, 20301 S. Western Ave., Torrance, Calif.Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 363,538 Claims. (Cl. 220-6) The presentinvention relates to collapsible carrier case constructions.

An important feature of the present invention is to provideconstructional features that result in the collapsed case beingsubstantially fiat for stacking many like collapsed cases one on top ofthe other to facilitate storage and handling of the same. Suchconstructional features involve the use of four side Wall members, eachbeing generally L-shaped with a hinge structure interconnecting ashortened base leg of one L-shaped wall member with a longer leg of theadjacent L-shaped wall member. This construction not only facilitatesconvenient storage, but also permits the use of a ledge at the bottom IUnited States Patent 0 of each side wall member upon which -a base orfloor member is supported in the extended condition of the case toprovide a rigid assembly in use of the case.

Briefly, in addition to the above indicated constructional features, thecase described herein is a square open top box having four Wall membersand a bottom member or floor member. The wall members are each ofidentical construction with cooperating hinge portions between adjacentend portions thereof, as indicated above. The bottom member or floormember is, in general, a square plate with three integrally formed hingemembers spaced along one edge of the plate and insertable into andmaintainable within cooperating cavity portions of any one of theselected walls upon which the plate is to be hinged; and also such platehas a lug portion on each of its three other edges insertable into acavity portion in each of the three other wall members with the floormember resting on the ledge of each side wall member to provide a rigidconstruction. The case may be collapsed by first hinging the plate fromthe side wall on which it is hinged and then hinging the side members oneach other to provide a substantially flat collapsed assembly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a case having one ormore of the above indicated constructional features.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a casesubstantially entirely of plastic material such as, for example,polypropylene.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a case wherein ahinge for these purposes is entirely of plastic material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a constructionwherein the parts are interchangeable with a choice as to which sidemember the floor member is hinged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a case which maybe quickly and easily assembled for repair or in original assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable casewhich in its expanded or used condition is strong and sturdy with allparts thereof securely interlocked yet easily interlocked for collapsingthe case for storage, handling and other purposes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable carriercase having unique constructional features.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularly in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its 3,254,786 Patented June 7, 1966 organization andmanner of operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereof, may be best understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG, 1 is a top plan view showing the carrier case in its folded orcollapsed condition.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same in its open condition or usedcondition.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are section-a1 views taken substantially on correspondinglines 33 and 44 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5 with the bottom or floor member in itsfolded condition.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 77 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating details of the construction ofthe floor or bottom member.

FIG. 8A illustrates the integrally formed tongue which is centrallylocated on three of the bottom member edges.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the Wallmembers are hinged with certain elements being shown in detachedrelation.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a detail of the side wallhinge.

FIG. 11 illustrates three of the cases stacked against a wall.

Each wall member is of identical construction, i.e., in-

terchangeable with each other, and these are indicated by the numerals10, 11, 12 and 13. The floor or bottom member, in general, in the formof a square plate is designated by the numeral 14.

Each of the side members is a molded plastic element formed withinternally ribbed portions 16 and embossed portions 17 for strength andmay also be provided with a hand hole 18 for convenience in handling orcarrying.

One, end of each side member is' formed with a series of spaced roundedand apertured lug portions used as hinge elements, such series asillustrated includes: a first group of four closely spaced hingeelements 20 near the bottom; a second intermediate group of eight morewidely spaced hinge elements 21; and a third group of four closelyspaced hinge elements 22 (FIG. 4) near the top. These hinge elements 20,21, 22 are spaced to have interleaved between the same correspondinghinge elements 30, 31, 32 formed on the end of the right angle extension35 of the other end of a like side member, as indicated in FIG. 9. It isnoted that a pin 36 extends and is maintained in the aligned .aperturedportions of the intermediate group of hinge elements 21 and that thecorresponding hinge elements 31 are each grooved to provide in effectspring fingers which are pressable, as indicated by the arrows in FIG.9, over the pin 36 to provide the assembly indicated in FIG. 10 tofacilitate initial assembly and alignment. After the wall elements 10and 11 are thus aligned, two additional pins, namely the lower hinge pin38 and the upper hinge pin 39 (FIG. 4), are inserted and maintainedbetween correspondingly the lower group 20, 30 and upper group 22, 32 ofhinge elements.

Each side member is formed with a lower base portion defined, as seen inFIG. 9, by an upper ledge 44, a lower ledge 46 and a Wall 45interconnecting such ledges; and within each base portion there arethree apertured portions 48 formed generally in the ledge 44 and wall 45to receive tongue elements integrally formed with the bottom member 12as described later to provide one element of a type of tongue and grooveconnection between the bottom member and side walls.

The floor or bottom member 14 is also of plastic material, is square andhas three integrally formed hinge elements 50 spaced along only one edgethereof, each of which has a tapered tongue portion snugly receivable inthe previously mentioned apertured or tapered grooves 48 in one of theside members.

This hinge element 50 is of special construction in that it involves athin integrally formed flexible strip 50B which interconnects the tongueportion 50A to an edge of an integrally formed strip 500 along one edgeof bottom member 16, the strip 50 defining a shouldered portion 50Dwhich in assembly, as seen in FIG. 5, rests on the side ledge 46 with araised projection or bead 50E on the tongue member 50A abutting theinner wall of the side 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 8A, the bottom member 14 is also formed with atapered tongue member 54 along each of its other three edges (excludingthe edge on which the hinge elements 50 are formed) to cooperate withthe central one of the three tapered grooved portions 48 in side members10, 11 and 13 to thereby provide a rigid construction in the opencondition of the box or case.

To collapse the box or case to achieve the-condition shown in FIG. 1, aperson initially using his finger extend-s it through one of the caseopenings 48 to raise the tapered lugs or tongues 54 out of the taperedwall openings 48 after which the bottom member is pivoted further athinge 50 to the condition shown in FIG. 6 after which the side walls arepivoted and collapsed inwardly.

Instead of the bottom of the case being a single piece, the same may beof two parts with such parts being hinged on lower edge portions ofopposite sides, this two part bottom construction being particularlyadvantageous in large size cases.

While the case is particularly useful for milk cartons, the same may, ofcourse, be used forother purposes. For example, the same may be providedwith dividers which compartmentize the interior of the case as, forexample, for storage and carrying of eggs.

One important constructional feature involves the offset hingeconstruction efifected by the right angle extensions 35, 35A, 35B, 35Cwhich in the collapsed condition of the case results in the planes ofthe wall members 11 and 13 being substantially parallel with theintermediate portions 35A, 350 defining what may be termed hook portionsfor convenient stacking on a floor F or against a wall W or in a corner,it being noted that hooked portions 35A, 350 of adjacent cases thenlabut at a central portion of each case to more firmly maintain a pileof stacked cases than would otherwise be the case.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible case having four side wall members, each of saidmembers being generally L-shaped with one portion extending generallyperpendicular to the other portion thereof, hinge means interconnectingan end of said one portion of one of said wall members to an end of saidother portion of an adjacent wa-ll member, each of said wall membershaving an inwardly extending ledge portion, a floor member, meansincorporating cooperating readily connectable and disconnectableportions of said floor member and one of said wall members and pivotallysupporting said floor member on one of said wall members, said floormember resting on the ledge portion of each wall member in the extendedcondition of the case, said one portion being sufli-ciently prolonged adistance greater than twice the width of said ledge portion to provide asubstantially flat case assembly in its collapsed condition withoutinterference from said ledge portions.

2. A case as set forth in claim 1 in which the lastmentioned meansincludes a projecting portion of said bottom member engaging anapert-ured portion of said one side member.

3. A case as set forth in claim 2 in which said projecting portion is atapered element cooperating with said apertured portion which is taperedto receive the same.

4. A case as set forth in claim 1 in which said hinge means includesintegrally formed and spaced apertured lug portions with the lugportions on adjacent wall members being interleaved, a pin extendingthrough aligned apertured portions of the lug members of one of saidadjacent members, the lug members of the other adjacent member beingslotted to form spaced portions thereof which are resilient and whichmay be pressed over said pin.

5. A pair of collapsed cases as set forth in claim 1 in which said oneportion of one of said cases is in the form of a hooked portionengageable by one said portion of the other of said cases which is alsoin the .form of a hooked portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,550,088 4/1951Sayer 2206 2,746,081 5/ 1956 Gershen 22031 2,797,840 7/ 1957 Gibbs 22031 3,164,281 1/1965 Williams 2l714 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,022,345 12/1952France.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. R. H. SCHWARTZ, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CASE HAVING FOUR SIDE WALL MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS BEING GENERALLY L-SHAPED WITH ONE PORTION EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE OTHER PORTION THEREOF, HINGE MEANS INTERCONNECTING AN END OF SAID ONE PORTION OF ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS TO AN END OF SAID OTHER PORTION OF AN ADJACENT WALL MEMBER, EACH OF SAID WALL MEMBERS HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING LEDGE PORTION, A FLOOR MEMBER, MEANS INCORPORATING COOPERATING READILY CONNECTABLE AND DISCONNECTABLE PORTIONS OF SAID FLOOR MEMBER AND ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS AND PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID FLOOR MEMBER ON ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS, SAID FLOOR MEMBER RESTING ON THE LEDGE PORTION OF EACH WALL MEMBER IN THE EXTENDING CONDITION OF THE CASE, SAID ONE PORTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY PROLONGED A DISTANCE GREATER THAN TWICE THE WIDTH OF SAID LEDGE PORTION TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CASE ASSEMBLY IN ITS COLLAPSED CONDITION WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM SAID LEDGE PORTIONS. 